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Soundproofing the kitchen floor above a bedroom

Hello,

I live in an old house 1920s house with plaster walls and ceilings. On the second floor I have a rental apartment. Above my bedroom is the apartment kitchen. In the morning I can hear foot falls, squeaking sub-floor boards and the blender.

I would like to soundproof this 10' x 12' kitchen, from the floor down as much as possible. The ceilings in my bedroom is plaster and lathing, with nice molding which I would like to keep in tact, so resilient channels and two layers of drywall on the ceiling is not an option. The floor in the kitchen is floating (engineered wood) floor, a thin foam under layer, 3/8" plywood, 3/4" sub-flooring, on joists. I was wondering if it would be effective to put 2x10 joists in between the existing joints (2x12), raise a 1/4" higher than the existing joists (similar to a double stud wall)as a decoupling measure. Then add Quiet Roc insulating bats between the joists, 3/4 sub-floor (screwed and glued plywood or osb), acoustic mat and re-install the floating floor. I haven't seen anything on the web about using offset joists for decoupling, but I'd like the best possible result without having to tear out my plaster ceiling.

Re: Soundproofing the kitchen floor above a bedroom

everything you mentioned, except adding additional joists, should more than adequately solve your problem. the joists, the way you described it, would not give you the same effect as the double stud wall.

Re: Soundproofing the kitchen floor above a bedroom

I just went through this in my own 2-unit apt house of similar vintage---if you're going to do this yourself I would strongly recommend (even though it's a kitchen) having low-plush nylon carpeting put down in the 2nd floor kitchen to eliminate the footfalls, and hopefully, stop the sound of the blender as well----there's an old saying in soundproofing that says "stop the impact noise at its source" and the carpeting should go a long way in doing this.

Don't hesitate in seeking out the opinions of local contractors who specialize in soundproofing---I'll warn you ahead of time, they're very hard to find because soundproofing is a very specialized field, although it seems to be growing rapidly in recent years---my best resource was to call & talk to the owners of local sound recording studios in the area (Yellow Pages-Recording Studios)---sound control is an intricate part of their business, and they know all the sound experts in the area, and can no doubt point you in the direction of a good contractor.

Re: Soundproofing the kitchen floor above a bedroom

Thank you for the great responses. A carpeted kitchen is an interesting idea, I can't say I've ever seen that.....maybe back in the 70s when everything was plush. I will explore the options. Once the floor is removed I'm sure to find other holes and gaps that can be filled to improve the situation. A tile floor with a de-coupling membrane was my first consideration, I'm still evaluating that an an option. (time, cost vs results)

Re: Soundproofing the kitchen floor above a bedroom

I actually had what was called in the 70s 'kitchen carpet'. It was a tightly woven synthetic similar to what's now called 'indoor/outdoor' carpet. I liked it until a bottle of dishwashing liquid fell on it and leaked right in front of the sink. Forever thereafter, although it looked clean, it would foam up whenever the floor got damp.